sentenced with the death penalty. Between 2010 and 2017, 3,224 individuals were reportedly executed for drug-related crimes.18 According to Iranian officials, from 2014 to 2017, 70% and 80% of executions per year were related to drug offences.19 The high rate of executions can be explained by the previous anti-narcotic law, which prescribed the death penalty for a wide range of crimes. For example, under Article 4 of the previous version of the law, a person carrying 5 kg or more of narcotics could be sentenced to death. In November 2017 an amendment made to the law on drug trafficking entered into force, replacing the mandatory death penalty with a prison term of up to 30 years for non-violent drugrelated offences and increasing the quantity of drugs required for a death sentence to be imposed. As a result of the amendment, the number of death penalties issued for drug-related crimes has significantly decreased since 2017.20 However, mandatory death sentences for numerous drugrelated offences remain and the law has transformed a number of crimes into capital crimes for first-time offenders in specific circumstances. 21 At least 30 people were executed on drugrelated charges in 2019 and 25 in 2020. On May 3, Iran Human Rights reported that during the first four months of 2021, 22 out of 82 executions were carried out as a result of drug-related charges - a 300% increase compared to the first trimesters of the two previous years.22 Despite the existence of several means and mechanisms accepting complaints regarding the violation of rights in Iran, such as the Judge’s Disciplinary Court, the Article 90 Parliamentary Commission and, in general, any appeals courts including the Supreme Court, there is little evidence to suggest that these complaints are properly investigated and adjudicated. Iran does not have any administrative processes or independent human rights monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure that the application of the death penalty complies with international human rights standards. The Human Rights Committee has consistently underscored that drug-related offences do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” and that the death penalty should not be applied to them.23 The Islamic Republic of Iran has amended its Anti-narcotic Law but has not replaced all death penalties for drug-related offences with penalties that comply with relevant international standards. 18 ECPM, Iran Human Rights, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf < https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/305059/ > 20 ECPM, Iran Human Rights, https://www.ecpm.org/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-iran-2020-gb-070420-WEB.pdf 21 Drug trafficking law, articles 8 and 45. 22 https://iranhr.net/en/articles/4721 23 CCPR/C/PAK/CO/1, para. 17; CCPR/C/THA/CO/2, para. 17; CCPR/C/KWT/CO/3, para. 22; A/71/372, para. 48; and Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 36. 19 4